The present invention pertains to the art of residential building construction and, more particularly, to reinforcing components for wall sections. The present invention is particularly applicable for bracing upright studs in a wooden wall frame and will be described with particular reference thereto, although it will be appreciated that the invention has other, broader applications.
In the construction of residential buildings such as houses and apartment units, wood frame construction is conventially known. Walls are generally comprised of wooden frames formed of upright studs which are parallel to each other, and separated at predetermined spacing. It is likewise common to support or brace the exteiror corners against sagging, especially where the wall sections are joined, to increase the structural integrity of the dwelling.
Heretofore several methods for bracing stud walls have been known. Mortise wood braces are widely used for bracing stud walls. A mortise wood brace is generally comprised of a 1" by 4" wooden strip fitted into the upstanding studs and extending diagonally thereacross. Such a brace requires that rectangular grooves or slots be carefully cut in each stud so that the stud can accept the brace in a manner which maintains a flush outer surface.
In this respect, a flush outer surface on the wall frame is important in that sheets of insulation board (thermax) are normally secured or fixed to the stud wall frame prior to installing exterior siding. The mortise brace thus provides a wall frame having a flush outer surface on which sheet installation board can easily be secured. It will be appreciated however that cutting diagonal slots or grooves is very time consuming and labor intensive, and therefore very expensive.
Another conventionally known method of bracing a stud wall or corner section is by nailing plywood sheets (generally 4' by 8' sheets of 5/8" plywood) onto the portion of the wood frame to be braced. This arrangement provides a strong wall section but the plywood sheet does not permit sheets of insulations to be installed over such areas because covering the plywood with insulation board would produce a raised or higher surface as compared to the areas where plywood does not cover the wooden frame. Accordingly, when plywood sheet is used to brace a portion of the wall frame no insulation is used in the plywood covered area and thus the insulating properties of that portion of the wall are reduced. Further, with respect to plywood sheet bracing, openings such as windows and doors located in the portion of the wall frame to be braced require that the plywood sheet be cut, in the appropriate areas, to accomodate such openings. The cutting operation required for these openings, like the mortise brace, is labor and time consuming, and thus increases the cost of this method of bracing.
A still further method of wall bracing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,698 to Rogers. This patent discloses a galvanized steel strap which is nailed diagonally to the studs of a wall frame with ends of the strap bent over and rigidly fastened to the upper and lower wall plates. Although the metal strap provides good tensile strength, it does not have comparable compressive strength. Likewise, the strap is not completely suitable where openings such as windows exist, in that both ends must be fastened to the top and bottom plates of a wall frame to provide maximum tensile strength. Thus the device disclosed in the Rogers patent is limited in its application to portions of wall frames which have no opening therein and is not suitable for other applications.
These and other problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a reinforcing member is provided for bracing a wooden frame structure which reinforcing member is sturdy, versatile, and easy to install.